Clover wrestling wins first state title in thriller

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The Clover High School wrestling team won its first state championship, defeating James Island 34-31 in the Class 5A Division I title match. The championship came down to the final two matches, with Clover's Jonas Plummer winning at 215 pounds and Messiah Outing avoiding a pin at heavyweight to seal the victory.

Why it matters

This is a historic achievement for the Clover wrestling program, which was making its first-ever appearance in the state championship match. The Blue Eagles overcame a regular season loss to James Island to capture the title in a close, back-and-forth contest.

The details

Clover finished the season at 30-3 and had playoff wins over Dutch Fork, Boiling Springs, and Rock Hill to advance to the state final. The match came down to the final two weight classes, with Clover's Jonas Plummer winning by technical fall at 215 pounds to put the Blue Eagles up 34-28. At heavyweight, Clover's Messiah Outing avoided a pin in the final match to seal the 34-31 victory.

• The championships were held at three sites in the Midlands after the playoffs were delayed because of a snowstorm a couple of weeks ago.
• Clover and James Island came into the match ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the Class 5A scmat.com rankings. James Island had defeated Clover 45-23 on Dec. 30.
• This was Clover's final dual match in Class 5A as the school will be moving to Class 4A next year in the 2026-28 SC High School League realignment.

What’s next

With the dual season over, Clover will prepare for this weekend's individual state qualifier and next week's individual state championships in Florence.